Humane Ai Pin will not replace smartphones. Here’s why

November 21, 2023

As we step into 2024, the tech world is buzzing with advancements in display technology and immersive experiences. Yet, Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, founders of AI startup Humane, are charting a different path. They’ve introduced a unique innovation, the Humane Ai Pin. In this article let’s talk about Humane’s Ai Pin, its features, specifications, and expected price in Nepal.

Humane Ai Pin: An Overview

Humane, led by two ex-Apple employees, has unveiled its latest creation, the Ai Pin, amidst months of teasers and demos. This wearable, comprising a square device and a magnetic battery pack, enters the arena of AI-powered gadgets, promising a shift in user-device interaction.

Design and Display

Utilizing a laser beam scanning projection system, the Ai Pin creates a unique interactive Laser Ink Display on the user’s palm. Consisting of a traditional pin-like body, the wearable, available in Eclipse, Equinox, and Lunar color options, attaches to clothing via magnets, similar to a body-worn camera.

With no traditional touchscreen, the wearable incorporates a touchpad area supporting gestures for efficient access to various AI-powered tasks. Users can interact with the pin via voice and taps as well.

Processor

Fueled by an unspecified octa-core 2.1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chip with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage, the Ai Pin supports on-device AI operations. This processing power ensures seamless execution of AI tasks, including language translation and voice messaging.

Features

AI Integration:

The Ai Pin’s primary function is to connect to AI models through the proprietary AI Mic software. Collaboration with Microsoft and OpenAI, particularly relying on ChatGPT access, is highlighted as the device’s core feature. The operating system, Cosmos, promises streamlined user queries without the hassle of managing various apps.

Functionalities

Humane envisions the Humane Ai Pin as a ‘revolutionary’ step toward simplifying technology interfaces, and eliminating traditional settings and accounts. It claims to execute commands effortlessly through voice, touch, and gestures. The list of functionalities includes voice-based messaging, email summarization, camera-based nutritional information retrieval, real-time translation, and an AI-powered search engine. While plans to integrate navigation and shopping capabilities and open avenues for developers sound promising, skepticism lingers about the actual execution.

Camera

Featuring a 13-megapixel camera with a 120-degree field-of-view and an f/2.4 aperture, the Ai Pin does its job snapping pictures but to claim ” it excels” would be an overstatement. While it currently supports photo capture, the company expects to introduce video capture capabilities through a future software update.

To prioritize user privacy, the device incorporates a Trust Light—a multifunctional LED indicator that glows green during image capture, pink during phone calls, and orange/white during microphone and scan usage, respectively.

Connectivity and Extras

The Ai Pin ensures connectivity with 4G (eSIM), dual-band Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, and GPS. Equipped with sensors such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and ambient light sensor, the wearable provides a comprehensive set of data for an immersive user experience. The Ai Pin supports wireless charging but can be charged via USB-C too.

Challenges up ahead: My Take

Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? Sure, the Humane Ai Pin might be an innovation, but not every innovation makes things better. We’re in the 21st century, deeply in love with our smartphones. Now, the Humane AI seems like a dream for minimalists – the kind who probably only own one pair of shoes and call it a day. But reality check: people also crave screens. It’s ingrained in us, shaped by the smartphone culture we’ve grown up in. Some people even have ADHD; visual learning has become a jam and people are not ready to give it up.

And let’s be real, not everyone wants to be best friends with an AI. Some people just appreciate the beauty of silence. Enter texting – a savior for introverts who’d rather not engage in chit-chat with artificial intelligence. There’s a different kind of fun in texting, Emojis, all caps for emphasis – it’s a whole language on its own. Picture this: you’re in a crowded place, and suddenly you’re forced to speak into a microphone to communicate with your AI. Awkward much? People might even mistake you for a spy on a secret mission.

Moreover, Speech recognition is already a hot mess. Google Assistant struggles with the English of non-native speakers, thanks to those accent problems. And don’t even get us started on third languages – it’s like speaking a foreign language with yourself. ChatGPTs? Well, they’re not exactly polyglots. Take Nepali, for instance. It’s like the forgotten cousin at the family reunion – occasionally mixed up with Hindi, struggling for recognition.

Smartphone Replacement?

In all seriousness, the Humane Ai Pin is not a bad idea in itself. It might work pretty nicely for people who want a more minimalist ecosystem. But to claim, it would erase smartphones from their existence would be an erroneous assumption.

Humane Ai Pin: Price in Nepal and Availability

The Humane Ai Pin costs a whopping $699 and requires a $24 monthly subscription available via T-Mobile in the US. Scheduled for preorders on November 16th and shipments in early 2024, the Ai Pin’s true impact remains to be seen. If it makes it here, we expect the Human Ai Pin price in Nepal to be around NPR 111,111.